Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Charter Schools topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents, operators urge board to restore Excel Academy enrollment and funding after relocation and renewal notice
Summary
Multiple speakers during public comment asked the board to restore funding and enrollment to Excel Academy Public Charter School, saying a recent relocation and a notice about possible nonrenewal have reduced enrollment and threatened the school's financial viability.
Several parents, school operators and community advocates told the Prince George's County Board of Education on May 8 that Excel Academy Public Charter School faces an immediate enrollment and funding crisis after a relocation and a notice about possible nonrenewal.
"We've been budgeted for 463 scholars when this body approved us for 600 in 2022, and that is a number that we need to reach in order to be financially solvent," said Lisa Butler McDougall, operator of Excel Academy Public Charter School. McDougall told the board the school has already lost roughly 80 seats and asked the board to reduce the district's administrative fee to 2 percent and to restore an enrollment allotment of 600.
Dr. Stephanie Watson, speaking as a concerned parent and advocate, told the board she sees charter cuts as an equity issue for communities of color and said the district should "ask tough questions of the district administrators who are effectively blocking enrollment to our school." Several parents described a recent forced relocation during COVID and said the school's listing in the district enrollment portal has been inconsistent, which they say has suppressed sign-ups.
Speakers asked the board to reconsider decisions that they said would destabilize Excel Academy and similar community-rooted charters. Operators and parents described the school as the county's longest-running charter offering the International Baccalaureate framework and said the school produces positive outcomes for alumni; they requested concrete relief: a restored enrollment allocation of 600 and a reduced administrative fee.
The board did not take an immediate vote on charter funding at the meeting. Speakers said written documentation, including any district notices to the school and the current enrollment calculation, is needed to evaluate operating allocations.
Next steps: Board members asked for continued dialogue with the superintendent and the district's finance team; the district has indicated it is reviewing state guidance from the state superintendent that clarifies legacy charter funding and that additional details on special education funding remain under review.
